Microsoft Deletes User’s 25-Year-Old Account With Son’s Baby Photos After It Was Hacked

A Microsoft user has lost all of his digital belongings after his account was deleted by the tech giant.

A viral post from a gamer known as Joshua Khane has been making the rounds on social media after he put Microsoft on blast. The user noted that his account had been compromised, and after reaching out to Microsoft for help, things actually got worse. Instead of giving Khane his account back, Microsoft deleted everything, even after verfiying that he was the true owner.

Not only did Khane lose 25 years’ worth of video games, he also lost everything that was backed up in Microsoft’s cloud storage service, OneDrive. He claims that he lost his son’s baby pictures in the process and expressed bitter outrage over the entire situtation. Khane did admit that he could’ve locked his account down better, but ultimately wished that Microsoft provided better customer service to help him regain his account rather than nuke it from existence.

Microsoft DELETED my account AND OneDrive!!?? After ACKNOWLEDGING that I’m the owner of the account and that it was compromised???

25 fucking years of data, thousands of euros spended on games?? My son’s baby pictures? GONE!

All because MICROSOFT couldn’t bring back a… pic.twitter.com/sItv5eQFAQ

— Joshua Khane (@JoshuaKhane) July 14, 2026

The entire situation comes at a rather relevant time as players debate the validity and value of physical items versus digital records. While digitizing things like images and videos via the cloud is not a new concept, there is a push from the gaming industry to move away from physical releases. PlayStation recently announced that it will no longer support or produce physical video games starting in 2028, and Xbox is reportedly working on a feature to digitize physical gaming libraries ahead of its next console.

If digital is the only way forward for gamers, then companies like Microsoft and Sony need to figure out an improved solution for recovering compromised accounts. Part of the benefits of going digital is that your copy can not be damaged or stolen (minus a publisher revoking your license), but if a company can’t figure out how to give you a hacked account back, then it devalues one of the biggest pros of digital gaming.

Whether Khane’s viral post leads to action from Microsoft remains to be seen, but hopefully, it can at least spark some kind of change in practices.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.